Mail-bag-delivering apparatus.



F. -W. HIGGINS.

MAIL BAG DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED'JULYIS. I914. I A 1,166,587. I Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

avmewfo o A Witnesses I I Q coLummA ILANOGRAPH CO.,\VASHINGTON. D. C.

. I F W dg'ggim,

vF. W. HIGGINS. MAIL BAG DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULYI3, 19I'4. I

1,166,581 Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

attozncg warren s rarns; rarnivr orrron.

FRANK WILLIAM HIGGINS, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON;

MAIL-BAG-DELIVERING APPARATUS;

Application filed'J-uly 13, 1914:.' Serial-No. 850,718.

To all whom it may concern v Be it known that I, FRANKWVILLIAi-rI-lmems, a citizen of the UmtedStates, residlng at Spokane, inthe county of Spokaneand State of lVashington, have invented certaln newand useful Improvements in Mail-Bag- Delivering Apparatus; and I dohereby cleclare the following'to be a' full, clear, and eXactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to mail bag dellver ing apparatus, and has forits object to provide improved and simplified devices for supporting andcatching mail bags.

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novelconstruction, arrangement and formation of parts as will be hereinafterspecifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which: 7

Figure 1 represents a side elevatlon of the delivering appliance appliedto use, showing a fragmental sectional view of a rallway mail carcarrying a part of the apparatus,

' and also showing an end view of the platform at station carrying apart of theapparatus. Fig. 2 represents a top plan View of theapparatus. Fig. 3 represents aperspec tive view: of the lower portion ofthe train carried device; the same,inverted, represents the upperportion of the station device. Fig. 4: represents a side elevation of amail bag, partly broken away, showing the securing device therefor.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference numeralsdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several I views, thenumeral 5 indicates the body of a railway car of. ordinary constructionprovided with the usual doorway 6, adjacent thev edge of which issecured a pair of spaced bearing members 7 rotatably supportlng avertically disposed shaft 8. An arm 9 is secured adjacent the upper endof the shaft 8 and is normally retained in extended position oroutwardly of the doorway 6 by the tension of a spring 10 secured at oneend to the shaft 8 and at the opposite end to the body of the car 5. Thearm 9 is provided with a head 10 having laterally projecting andoutwardly diverging forks 11 arranged on opposite sides thereof. Thehead 10 is formed with recesses 12 at the inner ends of the forks 11 ofeach pair, and the outer forks Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Jan. 4', 1916.

of thepairs are formed in their free ex,- tremities Withjnotchesl3.

An arm 14 is secured adjacent thelower endofthe shaft 8 and isiformedwith integral, forks or arms 15 terminating in the vertical plane of theouter forks'll-and having notches 16 in the free extremities, 15 thereofsimilar to the notches 13 in the forks 11. An arm or bar 17 is secured;to the arm lljandlis suitably offset to spacethe head 18 thereof-adistance above thearms; or forks l5. The head 18 is provided with;pairsof] forks 19, the. forks of each pair being diverged similarlytotheforksl-l, and thehead 18 is formed with the recesses 20 at theinner-ends of said pairsofforks;

A; platform 21 is provided at each railway mail station and twovertically spaced bearings 22 are secured to saidplatform, whichrotatably support a vertically disposed shaft 38 provided adjacent itsupper end with an arm 23 suitablysecured thereto, and'having the freeextremities bifurcated to provide a pair of diverging forks or arms 24having their free extremities-notched, as indicated at 25. An arm 26issecured to the under side of the arm 23 and is suitably offset to spacethe head 27 from the forks 24, and said head 27 is provided withoppositely. eX- tending pairs of forks 28, the forks of each pair beingdiverged and having notches 29 at their inner ends. The forks 2 1 and 28are arranged in such relation to the rails of'the track that, inpassing, the train carried arm and forks 11 thereof pass between theforks 24 and 28, as will be understood. ,A- second arm 30 is secured toshaft 38 above bearing 22 and is provided with pairs of laterallyprojecting forks'31,the outer forks of the pairs being formed withnotches similar to the notches 25 in the forks 2 1 and arranged in thesame vertical plane as thelatter and adapted to cooperate'therewith insupport ing mailbags, The forks 31 of the arm 30 are arranged insuch-relation to the rails of the track over which the car 5 passes'asto be received between the forks 19 and 15 supported by the lower armldcarried by'the car.

The mail bags are provided adjacent their ends with longitudinallydisposed looped straps 33 securing snap fasteners 34, in the looped endsof which are removably secured the rings or triangular members 35.Chains 36 are secured at their inner ends to the rings or triangularmembers 35 and are pro vided at their outer ends with disks or buttons37.

Between bearings 22 on shaft 38 is provided a pair of springs 39 (a ri'ht and a left), said springs 39 are fastened at one end to collar l0,which is fastened to shaft 38, and at the other ends to bearings 22,said springs 39 revolving shaft 38 in same direction as car 5 is moving,thus carrying arms 23 and 30 with bags 32 on shaft 33 over platform 21and away from car 5.

In operation, the mail bag 32 to be transferred from the moving train orcar 5 to the station at which the platform 21 is located, is supportedin vertical position illustrated in Fig. 1 by engaging the outerextremities of the chains 36 in the notches or recesses 13 and 16 in therear arms of forks 11 and 15. In passing, the chains 36 are guidedbetween the upper and lower pairs of forks 24 and 28 respectivelycarried'by shaft 38, and, when said'chains strike the inner wall of therecesses 29 they are disengaged or Slipped out of the notches 13 and 16and reliably support the mail bags 32 in vertical position until removedby the mail clerk. A mail bag to be transferred from the platform 21 tothe car 5 is supported in vertical position by engaging the chain 36 inthe notch 25 in the arm or fork 24 of the arm 23 and in the notch of theouter arm 31 of the lower arm 30. The forward forks 11 and 19 in passingthe mail bags to be collected guide chains 36 into the recesses 12 and20 and thus disengage the bags from the supporting apparatus carried bythe shaft 38.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is:

1. In combination, a railway car, a shaft secured in said car, a pair ofspaced arms projecting radially from said shaft, pairs of outwardlydiverging forks projecting laterally from the outer extremity of theupper arm, the outer forks of said pairs being notched at their freeextremities, and a pair of outwardly diverging forks having notches intheir free extremities projecting from the lower arm.

2. In combination, a railway car, a shaft rotatably supported in saidcar, spaced arms secured to said shaft, means carried by said shaftnormally retaining said arms in extended position, pairs of outwardlydiverging forks projecting laterally from the outer end of the upperarm, the outer forks of the pairs having notches in their freeextremlties, a pair of outwardly diverging forks carried by the lowerarm-and having notches in their free extremities, an arm secured to andextending above in spaced relation to said lower arm, and pairs ofoutwardly diverging forks projecting laterally from "the outer extremityof said arm.

3. In combination, a railway car, a shaft supported in said car, spacedarms secured to said shaft, pairs of outwardly diverging arms projectinglaterally from the outer extremity of the upper arm and having recessesformed at the intersection of the forks of the pairs, outwardlydiverging forks on the lower arm. and an intermediate arm secured tosaid lower arm having pairs of outwardly diverging forks projectinglaterally from the free ends thereof.

4-. In combination, tWo stationary bearings, a vertical shaft, an armsecured adja cent the upper end of said shaft, outwardly diverging forkscarried by said arm having the outer extremities notched, anintermediate arm secured to said arm and projecting parallel in spacedrelation under said fork, pairs of forks projecting laterally from theouter extremity of said intermediate arm, a railway car, a shaftjournaled in said car, an arm secured adjacent the upper end of saidshaft, pairs of forks projecting laterallv from the outer extremities ofsaid arm adapted to pass between the upper and lower forks supported bysaid shaft, the

outer forks of the pairs carried by said car being notched. an armsecured to said shaft adjacent the lower arm thereof, pairs of forksprojecting laterally from the outer extremity of said arm and beingdiverged outwardly of the latter, a lower arm secured to said shaft,outwardly diverging forks having the outer ends notched adapted to passunder the lower arm. and an intermediate arm secured to the lower carcarried arm extending parallel in s aced relation thereto, and pairs oflaterally projecting forks on said intermediate arm adapted to pass overthe lower arm.

In testimonv whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK WILLIAM HIGGINS.

Witnesses:

REUBEN CRANDELL,

W. H. PURCELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

